Panic-bolt construction.



H. G. VOIGHT. PANIC. BOLT CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1914.

1, 125,222. Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

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H. G. VOIGHT. PANIC BOLTQUONSTRUOTION. APPLICATION FILED JAN.23,1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2. 5..

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

. verse movement UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

HENRY G. VOIGHT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN CONNECTICUT.

PANIC-BOLT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 19, 1915.

Application filed January 23, 1914. Serial No. 813,824.

ToaZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY G. VOIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Panic-Bolt Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to panic bolt construction and particularly to a panic bolt of the gravity operated type wherein the parts are few and of. simple construction so that the entire apparatus may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low figure without detracting from the efficiency of the device.

A preferable embodiment ofmy improved structure is illustrated in drawings and is described in the following specification.

Inthese drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a fragmentary front elevation, of the inner side of a door equipped with the panic bolt mechanism of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge view of said door so equipped. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the reconnection between the gravity bar and the upper latch bolt, the back plate of the casing being removed. ig. 4 is a vertical central section through said casing and the upper portion of the gravity bar. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 relate to details of construction. 1

Referring to these drawings by numerals 1 indicates a door structure to which the panic bolt mechanism of the present invention may be applied. Any manually operable means for the mechanism may be used but preferably the-well known cross bar. To this end spaced bracket plates 2 and 3 are 'mounted upon the door intermediate its top and bottom, and a cross bar 4 has its inturned ends 4* the usual manner.

pivoted to these brackets in The bracket plate 2 forms the cover plate of a bar guide 5 rev cessed to receive and guide therethrough and vertically of the door, a bar 6 which is designed to extend vertically of the door and substantially to its top and bottom edge for connection to the upper and lower latch bolts hereinafter, referred to. The portlon of the bar 6 passing through the guide 5 1s provided with a lateral offset 7, and the inturned end 4* pivoted to the bracket plate 2 is provided with an inwardly extending foot therethrough the accompanying 8 normally held by gravity against the under face of this offset, the bar 6 itself being in this position moved downwardly by gravity, a pin 9 carried by the bar engaging the upper face of the guide 5 and limiting this downward. movement so as to position the parts as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings with the cross bar 4 spaced from and substantially parallel with the face of the door, so that inward movement of the cross bar toward the door is possible. The face of the bracket plate 2 is cut away to permit upward movement of the foot .8 upon such inward movement of the cross bar. The gravity bar 6 may be either formed as an integral bar or may be formed of a series of rigidly connected members forming a rigid bar structure which normally tends to drop by gravity. Were latch bolts rigidly connected with this bar structure to move in its direction of movement, one of the bolts wouldbe projected while the other is retracted. In order to provide a reverse movement connection for one of said bolts and to provide a structure simple in character and economical in manufacture, I have proceeded as follows: At the lower edge of the door I provide a guide bracket 10 and a lower latch bolt 11 guiding therethrough and having its stem 12 rigidly connected with the lower end of the bar 6, as for instance by insertion within the bifurcated end of the bar and by being riveted thereto.

The upper latch bolt is provided with a particular form of connection for the upper end of the bar 6. In the drawings I have shown a casing secured to the door adjacent its upper edge and having an upper latch bolt guided therein and arranged to project therefrom. This casing comprises a main housing 13 within which the parts are carried and a back or cover plate 14-, these parts being secured together and to the door by screws inserted through bosses l3 in the housing and through the back plate. The latter is also preferably secured directly to the housing-by means of a screw threading into a central housing stud 15. Within the housing 13 is mounted a latch bolt 16, the shank of this bolt extending through the side of the housing and guiding, therein, the head of the bolt being arranged to project beyond the upper edge of the door. On opposite sides of the shank of the bolt 16 adjacent its lower end, pivot studs 17 are carried by the housing. n these studs, which are of different heights, complemental operating levers 18-19 are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends, and have their upper ends provided with elongated slots guiding on pins 16 carried by the opposite sides of the shank of bolt 16. The heights of the studs 17 will, of course, be arranged to position the levers 18-19 so that their ends will engage the pins on the opposite faces of the latch bolt. The lower ends of these levers are also provided with elongated slots therein which engage with pins 20 on the opposite faces of a U-shaped rigid yoke member 21 which has a vertical depending portion 22 preferably integral therewith, which portion is rigidly connected with the upper end of the gravity bar 6, being preferably inserted between bifurcations at the upper end of said bar and riveted thereto as shown. Uwing to these lever connections between the yoke and the upper latch bolt, a reverse movement connection is provided between the gravity bar 6 and the upper latch bolt 16. By having reverse movement connections at one end of a rigid bar structure which extends vertically of the door to points adjacent its top and bottom and by having the cross-bar connected to said structure so as to permit of independent bolt-retracting movement of the bar structure, the latch bolts may be forced to retracted position by engagement with the jamb of the door or other stationary abutment (such as A, Fig. 2) without the necessity of overcoming the added weight of the operating foot and cross bar as is the case where the reverse movement connection is intermediate the ends of the operating bar structure and is actuated directly through movement of the cross bar which is in direct connection therewith.

If desired, an automatic lock may be provided to cooperate with the latch bolts and gravity bar to hold the same in bolt retracted position until the door closes, but such a mechanism 7261' 56 forms no part of the present invention. Any standard form of automatic control of this character may be employed.

The construction of panic bolt mechanism herein described is one which may be very cheaply manufactured, and sold, and requires a minimum of parts without detracting from the efficiency.

I have shown herein a specific embodiment of my invention, but desire it understood that the same may be altered in structure and in relative arrangement of parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In panic bolt construction, latch bolts carried by the door adjacent its upper and lower edges and operatively connected to a rigid bar structure extending substantially vertically of the door, there being a direct movement connection between one of said bolts and said structure, and a reverse movement connection between said structure and the other of said bolts, said structure normally, by gravity, moving said bolts to projected position, with manually operable means carried by the door and constructed to cooperate with said bar structure to move said structure in a direction to retract said bolts, said means permitting independent bolt-retracting movement of said bar structure, whereby said bolts may be retracted independently of the weight of said manually controlled means by contact with a stationary abutment upon the closing of the door with the latch bolts projected.

2. In panic bolt construction, latch bolts carried by the door adjacent its upper and lower edges and operatively connected to a rigid bar structure extending substantially vertically of the door, there being a direct movement connection between one of said bolts and said structure, and a reverse movement connection between said structure and the other of said bolts at a point adjacent said bolt, said structure normally, by gravity, moving said bolts to projected position, and with an operating bar carried by and extending transversely of the door and movable relatively thereto, with operating connections between said bar and said structure to retract said bolts, said operating bar and its connections permitting independent bolt retracting movement of said bar structure, whereby said latch bolts may be retracted independently of the weight of said operating bar by contact with a stationary abutment when the door is closed with said bolts projected.

3. In panic bolt construction, latch bolts carried by the door adjacent its upper and lower edges and operatively connected to a rigid bar structure extending substantially vertically of the door, there being a direct movement connection between one of said bolts and said structure and a reverse movement connection between said structure and the other of said bolts, said structure normally, by gravity, moving said bolts to projected position, manually operable means carried by the door constructed and arranged to cooperate with said bar structure to retract said latch bolts, said means permitting independent bolt-retracting movement of said bar structure, whereby said bolts may be retracted independently of the weight of said manually operable means by contact with a stationary abutment when said door is closed with said bolts projected,

connection between one of said said reverse bolts and said bar structure including a 1 lever member pivoted intermediate its ends and having its ends loosely connected to said bar structure and bolt respectively.

In panic bolt construction, latch bolts beyond, a rigid bar extending vertically of the door to points adjacent said bolts, one of said bolts being rigidly connected to one end of said bar to move therewith, other of said bolts being indirectly and flexibly connected to the opposite end of said bar, said connection including a yoke member rigidly connected with said bar, complemental lever members pivotally supported intermediate their ends and at opposite sides of said bolt and yoke member, and pin and slot connections between the ends of said lever members and said bolt and yoke member respectively, said bar normallv, by gravity, moving said bolts to projected position, an offset carried by said bar intermediate its ends, a cross bar carried by the door and arranged to move relative thereto and means of connection between said cross bar and 'd ofi'set permitting independent bolt-retracting movementlof said rigid bar and its connections, whereby said bolts may be retracted independently of the weight of said cross bar by contact with a stationary abutment when the door is closed with said bolts projected.

HENRY G. VOIGHT. Witnesses:

GWENDOLINE A. JACKSON,

CHAS. E. RUSSELL. 

